Saturday, July 11, 2009

I like to pinch pennies until they bleed. I have a massive amount of coupons ready at my disposal and I love to troll clearance racks. Anything that you can purchase, I try to find a way to get it as cheap as possible. I love being frugal and finding deals can be like a thrilling hunt. Every January and July, stores start to clear out their toys to make room for new ones and it's then that I add to the toy closet.

The past couple of years, I've gone to Target to replenish my toy supply. They mark them down to 75% off and its nearly an outright mommy brawl in the aisles to load your cart with goodies. Sometimes you aren't just fighting fellow frugal moms, but shrewd Ebayers and flea market people. You have to be stealthy and have eyes like an eagle to snatch toys off shelves and look for hidden deals. People often hide toys in other departments for later purchases and you never know when you may get a chance to play hide and seek for those items. It is a challenge, but worth it not to buy full price for holidays and birthdays.

I was getting ready to empty some of the closet for my kids' July birthdays and then fill it again at the end of July when I hit the Target sale, but a new sale caught my attention: Kmart additional 50% off toy clearance.

Kmart is a place that time forgot. If you frequented that store in the 80s, it hasn't changed. It's always spookily quiet; no shoppers, no employees. I feel like I'm reliving my youth there in a frozen-in-time era. It's creepy and strange, but if their clearance toys are 50% off, I'm willing to brave it.

I found out about a kitchen set there that is $16 marked down from $129 and I've been on the hunt for it. I've wanted to get my kids their own kitchen for some time, but they are too costly for my wallet. Unfortunately, this deal is not to be, but I still found plenty more toys for the toy closet. I got a great deal on a Crazy Coupe and it's already the kids favorite hang out spot. They play in there, snack in there, look at books, watch tv, and play with toys. It's like their own personal RV and we haven't even taken it outside yet!

The closet is packed now and it's supposed to be emptying. It leaves me in a dilemma. Can I just cheat on Target with Kmart this year? Should I just have them both? The choice is basically made for me already, all I have to do is figure out how to get myself another closet on clearance.

I'm a floor rotter, book junkie, and record hoarder. I have a great appreciation for all things wry, juvenile, and sarcastic. Married to an unobtrusively funny systems engineer. Mother to Wild Things (6 and 2). I appreciate trashtastic reality tv as well as the works of Jane Austen.